This invention relates to tire failure indicators. This present invention is concerned with a device for protecting tires and inner tubes against air-leakage after failure, and failure indication by optical, acoustic, electronic or electro-thermo-mechanical means. Pneumatic vehicle tires may be of the tube or tubeless type. Furthermore, by definition, a pneumatic tire includes an air-chamber or inner tube. Both kinds of tires are air-inflated and therefore any air-chamber or inner tube rupture results in air leakage and thus deflation with the possibility of a road accident. It is, therefore, a problem in the tire art to prevent the sudden loss of air in the event of tire failure.
Many attempts have been made to prevent the sudden leakage of air through the tire chamber in the event of a failure resulting, for example, from a puncture by a foreign object. Prior art methods of preventing air loss include the use of self-sealing materials, automatic re-inflation devices and obstructives such as pulverized material inside the air-chamber or inner tube which obstructs the puncture. Such prior art methods, while expensive, have not been satisfactory in providing protection against sudden pressure loss within the tire. Further, many tubeless tires have been used called "ruptureless" in that the tire wheel rim and valve are fitted in an air tight relation. However, tubeless tires are also subject to pressure loss resulting from distortion in the region of the fitting due to high speed impacts. In addition, tubeless tires do not provide comfortable road characteristics compared with the tube type tires.